but at the same time treasury secretary tim geithner told cnbc that president obama is prepared to take a dive off the so-called fiscal cliff if republicans don't agree to take hikes on the richest americans. and so we welcome peter alexander, at the ranks of the white house correspondents, with a look at all of it. >> reporter: brian, good evening, on the north lawn, the phone call marks the first time speaker john boehner and the president spoke in a week, that is hardly something to celebrate, but they wouldn't characterize what they caused in the phone call as the country barrels towards the fiscal cliff. with no talks and no progress to avert the looming fiscal cliff, you could say the house has left the building, streaming out of the capitol. tomorrow's session cancelled. with only three work days left this year, they are often criticized. just 16 votes. across the country, rising frustration, americans asking why the holdup. and what will their taxes look like in 2013. >> maybe instead of getting my sister two things, you give one thing, you have to give pause on what could happe